High-altitude cirrus clouds scattered sunlight into vivid reds and yellows • Light rain possible today, warming trend through Thursday
Anyone who looked up Monday evening saw an unusually vivid sunset, with skies across Israel painted in intense reds, yellows, blues and other colors well beyond the usual range.
The Israel Meteorological Service explained the phenomenon, according to a report by Ynet. Forecasters said Israel's skies were covered by high-altitude clouds known professionally as cirrus clouds, and commonly called "feather clouds" for their wispy appearance.
These clouds originated in a jet stream arriving from the south, blowing at an altitude of around ten kilometers above ground. At that height and the low temperatures that prevail there, the clouds are composed of tiny ice particles rather than water droplets.
At sunset, when the sun is low on the horizon, its rays strike these ice particles. The scattered radiation from those particles is what produced the breathtaking display visible across the country Monday evening.
Today (Tuesday) skies will remain covered with high- and mid-altitude clouds, with a chance of light drizzle or rain in several areas. Wednesday will see a slight rise in temperatures, and the warming trend is expected to continue through Thursday.
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